Her Homeland
by Sandshrew777
Summary: She just wanted to go home. She just wanted to see her family. The story of one desperate Dragonair and a trainer with a penchant for helping out.
1. Fury

"Look! It's a Dratini!"

"Cool! Let's catch it!"

Dratini wished it had never come to the surface. It wanted to swim freely, as it had done with its parents. It seemed like so long ago. She would swim and play about in the water with her siblings, her parents watching serenely from above, occasionally flying across the water to create a small wave that would drench them. It was a tranquil life, until the humans came.

Nets and pokéballs in hand, descending from massive crimson semis, the humans poured into the land where her family lived. She had been swimming near the waterfall, and had been spotted quickly by a man with over-large glasses and wearing a white lab coat. He opened a pokéball (something Dratini had never seen before), and out came a Porygon. Curious, she swam to the water's edge, having never seen such a thing before.

"Icy Wind, Porygon!"

A chill wind assaulted the water, and Dratini shivered. Why was this creature making things cold? She didn't like the cold much. It was never cold, not even at night.

Suddenly, an angry cry rose from her mother. She turned to the left, where she had heard the noise, ears twitching slightly. It was all the distraction her soon-to-be captor needed. She felt something bop her on the head lightly, and as she turned to face it, she suddenly found this odd material impeding her vision.

"Porygon, Psychic!"

The net rose up into the air with Dratini inside, glowing a slight magenta hue thanks to the Porygon's attack. Dratini felt a little disoriented; she hadn't flown except for in her parents' tight embraces, and so levitating in the air without their support was frightening her. She cried out, but to no avail. The doors of the blood-red van opened wide, and Dratini was thrust inside by the Porygon's attack. As she cried in pain one final time, the doors of the van closed, and everything she had known---her homeland, so beautiful, so picturesque, so peaceful---suddenly vanished, replaced by a neverending blackness.

The next thing she remembered was being released into this pond, where she had laid ever since. Some other water-type pokémon occasionally swam about, but they usually left her alone. She was different, and thus she was something to be feared, something to be ignored.

Now, she sat at the bottom of the pond, as she usually did. She was tired of this existence. She wanted to see her homeland and her family.

She wanted out.

Dratini suddenly felt something change within her. A dazzling, brilliant light surrounded her, and she felt her body twisting and changing shape. It didn't hurt, though---it was more like a warm, fuzzy tingle. She almost was saddened when the light vanished. Looking down, she realized that she had changed into a Dragonair.

Her parents had educated their children on their stages of evolution. As a Dragonair, she knew she could float in mid-air---like her parents did, with their wings. She could change the weather, she had been told. She stretched her memory, but nothing else floated into her thoughts. Ever curious, Dratini---no, Dragonair---began the ascent to the surface. As she slowly picked up speed, she plunged out of the water ever so gracefully. All the trainers nearby stopped to admire the radiant, yet confused beauty, floating in mid-air.

Then, they reached for their Pokédexes, bait, rocks, and pokéballs.

Dragonair, frightened, let her instincts take over. She flew higher, escaping the reach of many of the rocks and pokéballs.

One inspired trainer, however, had a slingshot on him. He loaded the rock into the slingshot, took aim, and fired. The rock connected with Dragonair's middle, and she recoiled in pain. Why were they assaulting her? Why were they constantly after her?

Fed up, she circled in the air, ready to fight. She never knew how to fight, but she remembered that she had accidentally hurt her brother, once, by wrapping around him too tightly. Angrily, she soared downwards and wrapped her long body around the frightened boy, squeezing him tightly. The other trainers screamed and either ran or pedaled away. Dragonair's Wrap attack, however, was hurting her as well. The wound from the rock pained more than she thought, and exerting herself was painful. She released the boy, and he fell to the ground, gasping. He quickly scrambled to his feet, though, and fled in terror.

Dragonair wanted to rest and recover her wounds, but there seemed to be no end in sight. Safari Zone rangers soon arrived on the scene, in red jeeps. Memories assaulted Dragonair, and she recalled being pulled along in a net and thrust into a red contraption. Although a semi was far different than a jeep, poor Dragonair associated the two as being one and the same. Enraged, she floated up into the air once more, and the ball-like object around her neck began to glow, swirls appearing within it. Dragonair floated even higher as angry thunderclouds began to fill the sky. The puzzled rangers watched the S-shape of the Dragonair twist about in the air. Every twist was accompanied by a rumble of thunder.

Lightning flashed as the dragon cried out. Rain erupted from the skies, and many of the rangers ran for their jeeps. Some called upon their pokémon. A Growlithe tried to scorch the dragon with a Flamethrower, but the torrential rains now falling doused it before it could reach her. A Nidoking tried a Poison Sting attack, but Dragonair, obliviously, managed to twist at all the right times. Several other attempts were made by a wide variety of types, but no pokémon could reach the dragon. The ground was even giving up the fight, becoming squishy and muddy underneath the rangers' feet. Those that had remained to try and restrain the Dragonair now ran for their drenched vehicles, recalling their faithful pokémon.

Officer Jenny ran about Fuchsia City on her motorcycle, ushering the residents inside their homes. She told them no details, and they made little fuss. The nearby beach was vacated, and the Pokémon Center was filled with put-out trainers with no place to go. This was where they were to ride out the situation, Officer Jenny and Nurse Joy insisted, and told them little else. Rumors ran rampant, but few held even a tiny kernel of truth.

Back in the Safari Zone, Dragonair screeched in pain and anger. The ponds, including the one she had made her temporary residence, now were overflowing their banks. She only wanted to go home to her family, nothing else.

A teenaged boy in the Pokémon Center gritted his teeth in sudden pain. A headache was coming on, he realized.

_I want my family! I want my home! I want out!_

The voices. Somebody---no, something---was in danger. Reaching for the pokéballs on his belt, he released his faithful friend, an Espeon. It seemed to be wincing slightly as it rubbed against its friend's legs.

"You hear it too, don't ya, Spee?" An affirmative purr came from the purple creature, and the boy sighed.

"I guess we'll just have to help."


	2. Partners

**A/N: Hello, there! Finally got around to updating at last. My muse came to me tonight, so I decided to start writing. **

**What follows is a little interlude to the main plot where you get to meet the five in our character's team. This is three days before the first chapter's incidents.**

**All of his pokémon are nicknamed, but from the descriptions you should be able to find out what each of them are. Well, maybe not entirely, but you'll find out later what exactly they are!**

**Hope you enjoy.**

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_April 24_

_Looks like things are starting to warm up. It took a while. People are saying that this is the longest winter's ever gone on in Fuschia City. Kanto's usually pretty warm, especially when you get closer to Cinnabar Volcano and all that jazz. Mt. Moon, apparently, is kinda cold, and I guess Cerulean and Pewter get pretty snowy sometimes, too, but I don't think it's that bad._

_Well, I haven't been there, but I'm sure it doesn't get as bad as they say. Things rarely do._

_We didn't have any snow here in Fuschia, but it's been colder than it should be. I don't mind it, but Swiff and Piious have been very uncomfortable lately. I suppose it's only natural, considering their "I like the sun, sorry" natures. Syzzyrgy's also been a bit antsy because he's not been able to swim much---he says the water's too cold, and while I'm sure it is, all the other Water pokémon don't seem to be having a problem...cough spoiled cough_

_Anyway, progress...Spee's awesome, as usual. She's getting really good with her Psybeam, actually. T'len is out running with Swiff right now. They seem to be having fun. Swiff's trying to get a better handle on her Flamethrower, but she can't quite get it to work every time like she wants it to. I think I'm going to try and coach her into a weaker attack instead so that the can work up to Flamethrower, 'cause that's pretty powerful. Maybe she can try something like Flame Wheel, although I don't know if she can actually learn that attack. _

_T'len's doing great...getting better focusing his Hypnosis attack so that he gets the target instead of the trainer or something. It's always awkward when he misses and hits somebody watching. Or, worse, the other trainer!_

_Piious hasn't been out much lately. I think he's a little afraid to come out because of the cold, but since it's been warming up, he's felt a little better coming out of the ball for longer than just high noon and such. His Razor Leaf is still as strong as ever. I think I'm going to try to get him to learn Solarbeam once summer comes, since he'll be able to harness the sun easier without having to try to use Sunny Day or something. _

_Lastly, Syzzyrgy's out swimming in the lake. He's doing okay, but trying to train both water-type attacks and electric-type ones at once isn't easy, and especially when he cops an attitude. At least he's funny about it, or else I think I would be screaming in frustration all the time, and that's really not good on T'len's ears (or Spee's mind, either). I think I want Syzz to work on the electricity first, though, and we'll start with Spark. I think he's got Thundershock pretty easily by now. The water should come naturally, I hope._

_Today, I was going to take a tour of the outdoor zoo the Safari Zone's got going on. I guess it's something they have almost all the time around here, but it'll be cool to walk around and see some cool pokémon for a bit. Maybe we'll head to the beach afterward so Syzz and Spee can have some time in the water, if it's warm enough for Syzz. I don't know what I'm going to do with the rest at the beach, though, but I'll think of something._

_I've been hearing the voices a little bit more lately. I'm not quite sure who---or what---it is this time, but with all the people in the city, plus all the pokémon in the Safari Zone, I'm bound to be hearing a lot. I'll try and work with Spee at the beach and see if she can't help me out a little. Psychic pokémon know about that type of thing, moreso than humans, at any rate._

_Eww, did I just use the word 'moreso'? Ugh. I think I need to stop, now, before my brain starts filling with too many big words that I can't even pronounce..._


	3. Battle

**A/N: Welcome back! In this installment, we meet up with our protagonist chronologically following from the last chapter (it is the next day). As a reviewer commented on this chapter, I haven't forgotten about dear, dear, Dragonair! We're slowly moving up to that day, but taking some time out for backstory. I promise that we'll return to the present timeline very soon. Please enjoy.**

* * *

"D'you want to battle?" the boy asks me. He's wearing a blue cap backwards, white cargo shorts, and a simple sky blue t-shirt, with two pokéballs at his belt.

"Sounds good to me," I agree. I know I'm at a disadvantage right from the start, since he has been watching me play and train with my crew. Of course, Piious hasn't been out since it's been too cold. I glance at my watch on my PokéNav, which tells me that it's 11:43 in the morning. Piious would be a surprise, and an effective one at that.

"Two each, one on one battle style," he says abruptly, crossing past me to increase the distance between us. I nod, calling my team over to me. Spee knows what's going on and shakes her head as she slowly walks towards me. She lays down in the grass near me, ever faithful, but she does not feel the urge to fight.

Syzzyrgy peeks out from the nearby lake. I wave him away, smiling, and he continues practicing his water moves as he swims about happily. I don't need Syzz for this, mostly because he needs some time to himself to swim and partly because he is at a disadvantage being able to only fight in the water.

That leaves me with Swiff and T'len. T'len flies about, keeping an eye on me, ever eager to be called upon for his services. Swiff looks nervous, anxiously tapping at the ground with her front right hoof, but nonetheless would do the job for me if I so choose. Biting my lip, I send T'len away again.

"Try and see how long you can stay airborne without having to rest. Don't push too hard, though," I warn T'len. He nods, rising from his stationary position in the air (flapping his wings constantly, of course, to stay awing) and soaring away. I cross the few steps to Swiff, patting her mane soothingly.

"Whether you lose or win matters nothing to me. Remember my number one rule, Swiff: always have fun," I remind her. She neighs softly and tosses her head back, trotting in front of me and taking her place in the makeshift arena.

"A Ponyta? Very well, then. Let's go, Dugtrio!" the boy commands, flinging a pokéball and releasing his choice. I am not happy about that; as the challenger, he does get to pick second, and he chose extremely wisely. Dugtrio is wicked fast, extremely strong, and its attacks are extremely damaging to fire types like Swiff. I have a few tricks up my sleeve, and I hope I can catch him off-guard. One solid hit will down that Dugtrio in no time, I'm sure. They are not known for their defense.

"The first move is yours," I acquiesce, and he immediately launches it.

"Dugtrio, Dig underground!"

Swiff stands there, confused and worried as her opponent vanishes underneath her. I am confident that she will know what to do when the time comes.

"Now!" he yells, not waiting long. I recognize that this is his style; attack, as quickly as possible, to gain the most advantages as he can. It's a demoralizing strategy. It should work on most trainers.

Dugtrio reappears right underneath Swiff, impaling her in the middle. She goes flying, lands hard on the ground, but gets to her feet. He wastes no time, seeing as I have called no moves and do not intend to; I let my pokémon fight with their own strength, coaching only occasionally from afar. They know what they are doing, what's best for them. I should not need to interfere.

"Tri Attack!" he yells. Dugtrio prepares the move as Swiff gets her bearings. It launches, recoiling Dugtrio a few inches; it's a strong one, indeed. The triangle spins faster and faster as it nears Spiff. I don't lose my confidence in her, knowing what she must do.

She does it. I let out a cheer as Swiff springs into the air, dodging the attack (it fizzles into a nearby rock) and readying her own countermove. The boy fails to see it until it's almost too late.

"Dugtrio, Dig!" he screams again, and a panicked Dugtrio just manages to get underground before the massive Bounce move connects with the spot where it had just been. Luckily, Ponyta's behind is bigger than the hole so she does not fall into it. She bounces out of it, the impact causing her momentum to carry her a few more inches, and she gets to her feet, immediately pointing her head at the ground and beginning a Fire Spin attack.

I smile from my position. The trainer is frustrated that I'm not calling my attacks, not giving him any clues as to what I'm going to do next, but he says nothing. Good focus, I note.

"Now!" he shouts. Dugtrio again rises from the ground, but this time, as it connects, it meets the massive ring of fire that Swiff has created. She takes another powerful blow, but the Fire Spin does its job, trapping Dugtrio. It can't Dig out of the fire; she's got it in perfect position for a Bounce to win.

Instead, as Swiff gets to her feet, the trainer calls a smart move.

"Mud Slap!" he yells, and Dugtrio spins rapidly, firing mud in all directions. The fire is doused, but it takes a bit more time than he wants; Swiff has already launched her Sunny Day move as the sun moves closer and closer into high noon position. I hope she can finish soon so I can recall her and let Piious do his thing, but I let Swiff do what she needs.

"Let's end this! Tri Attack!" the trainer commands. Dugtrio revs up, but Swiff is having none of it. Rearing up into the air, she slams the ground with a feinted attempt at an Earthquake (which she can't learn) while firing a successful Flame Wheel---she managed to get the hang of it yesterday at Dugtrio to counter the move. Indeed, the powerful fire meets the Tri Attack in midair and easily overwhelms it thanks to Sunny Day. It blazes Dugtrio, who recoils in pain.

"Dugtrio, Sand Tomb!" the boy tries, but Swiff is already moving to end this one; as soon as her Flame Wheel finished, she launched into the air again, preparing another Bounce. This time, she hits her mark just as Dugtrio looks up to see Swiff crashing down on it. Swiff bounces away from it, her flames glowing brightly as Dugtrio wearily collapses.

"Dugtrio, return!" the boy sulkily says, recalling the speedster and immediately sending out his second choice.

"Go, Mr. Mime!" the call comes, and out pops the psychic. Spee stirs, her mind feeling the new mental presence; I notice nothing odd in my own mind, but then again my...well...whatever it is...isn't really that active. More passive, really.

"Spiff, thank you. Please rest," I direct. Swiff nods, trotting over near the lake and lying down. I pull out my last pokéball to surprise the boy.

"Piious, if you would," I ask, setting the ball on the ground gently. It plops open and the huge Piious appears, yawning. The leaves on her back that stimulate his flight lift as he realizes the time of day. Then, seeing the opponent across from him, he readies his fighting stance.

"Your move," I acknowledge, and the boy again wastes no time.

"Light Screen, Reflect, Meditate, then into Psychic!" the boy rifles. He's in a hurry to get to the attack move, but recognizes the need for defense, especially considering that I still have Swiff to call upon if Piious doesn't get the job done.

I stand back and watch as Piious seemingly lets Mr. Mime go about its work. I know better; his Chlorophyll ability will speed him to amazing proportions for his size, and since Swiff has enhanced the sun with her Sunny Day, it's going to be even more blisteringly effective than usual.

"All fortresses have cracks," I remind Piious. He nods and takes to the air, taking my cryptic hint. As Mr. Mime finishes the walls and begins his meditation, Piious prepares a Razor Wind attack.

"Now, Mr. Mime!" yells the boy, and Mr. Mime's eyes spring open, hands glowing in that eerie, prismatic light. Unfortunately, Mr. Mime's mind can't keep up with Piious, who now zips around it at maximum speed, a blur in midair. Mr. Mime can't find a single moment to exploit Piious so it can mentally grab on, and Piious knows it.

Completing his version of Razor Wind, Piious breaks the circle and ascends. Mr. Mime takes the bait and grabs him mentally with Psychic. The momentary break in movement causes the Razor Wind, which moved up with Piious, to fall down, right onto Mr. Mime's unguarded head. The terrible wind fills up the space, some of it escaping through the top, but not before ravaging Mr. Mime.

I flinch as Mr. Mime swirls about, tosses around into its own walls, and also keep an eye on Piious, who took a tough hit but is back on his feet again.

Finally, the wind stops, and Mr. Mime is on the ground, clearly winded. He manages one final squeak of his name before collapsing fully. The frustrated trainer recalls him and stalks away, giving no compliments.

"Well done," I say loudly, meaning it for Piious but for the boy as well. He will learn, as he gets older (although who am I to be giving sage wisdom at my age?), to respect his losses as much as his victories.


	4. Beginnings

**Author's Note: Welcome back! Here we check in with our trainer one day before the events of the first chapter. I do promise we'll get to Dragonair, but she's not quite jumping into my head yet and demanding to be written! Don't worry, though...she's going to be back in action next time, I swear it! Please enjoy the chapter.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing in this piece except for the ideas that came from my own little head.**

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You know what's funny?

That trainer didn't play by the rules yesterday, and because of that, he lost.

Well, Piious helped, but really...karma was on our side. The guy called four attacks in a row with his Mr. Mime and didn't allow me to counterattack with a four-set of my own. All we got---and all we needed---was a Razor Wind, which technically means that he cheated. Of course, I won, so it doesn't matter too much, but if this were the professional world, he'd be in heaps of trouble. Try that trick on Koga---and he might, too, since Ground and Psychic are great types to use against his Poison-types---here in Fuchsia and he'll have him tossed out of his Gym so fast he'll wonder if he got Exploded by an Electrode. Heck, Koga might even revoke his League license!

You know what else I just realized?

He's gotta have psychic talent.

It seems odd to think that that boy---that immature, tempermental, but very skilled boy---would share something in common with me. Not to toot my own Loudred, but I'd like to think I'm relatively well-mannered, complimenting, humble, and all that jazz. Still, he owns a Mr. Mime, so somewhere in that head of his there's psychic power, and that links us together.

I guess we're just like psychic pokémon themselves; although we may be of the same type, we all have different personalities. Just because he's a psychic---and even then there's so many classifications: a clairvoyant, a diviner, a prophet, a telepath, a telekinetic, a channeler, a controller, or any mix of all of that---doesn't mean that he has to be all zen-like and focused and serene and all that jazz. We're all different.

You know what's weird?

Being a psychic is weird.

It's been four years since I met Spee. I was doing some algebra homework out by the swing sets at the playground back home, when all of a sudden she just stalks out of the woods and comes towards me. She was---is---the most beautiful pokémon I've ever seen in Kanto (I guess Milotic, over in Hoenn, are breathtaking, but I bet Spee would give them a run for their money): flawless purple fur, casually flicking tail, regal violet ears, and the most adorable cat's face ever. (Not like those Meowth or Skitty, ugh.) What made her even more ravishing is that she had that air of confidence about her, that "I know you're a human and I really don't give a Hoothoot about it" kind of look on her face that made me set simultaneous equations in the grass beside the swing and meet her in the middle. It was a clearing, a nice patch of grass, and I've sat there oodles of times as I've done homework or read or whatever. This time, Spee was there, this captivating Espeon that I'd never seen before, and she did the most amazing thing: she bowed her head to me as we met. Unsure of what to do in return, I gave my own awkward bow back and then we just stood there, boy and pokémon, staring.

"_Sit down, human."_

Those three words resounded in my head like bells echoing in an empty room. I did the classic "who said that?" double take, looking around and finding nobody, before I realized that it had to have come from the Espeon in front of me.

"_I will not harm you. Sit down."_

She repeated the command, and, feeling helpless, I gently flopped down onto the grass so that we were now relatively eye level. Moving into a sitting position and looking more and more like a Siamese cat every second, she continued to speak to me.

"_I have chosen you to be my master. Do you know what this means?"_

The awe kept coming. Flabbergasted, I shook my head, too stunned to speak.

"_You are to be my 'trainer', as your kind calls them. You will instruct me in the art of refining my physical capabilities. Your kind calls this instruction 'training' for 'battle', does it not?"_

I nodded, trying to follow.

"_In turn, I will instruct you regarding your mental capabilities."_

Mental...capabilities? My brow furrowed. She was going to help me with algebra, maybe? Ooookay...

"_Yes, mental capabilities. Only humans with psychic gifts can communicate with or control a psychic pokémon. You are intelligent enough to draw the necessary conclusion."_

Indeed I was, but it didn't mean I wasn't surprised. Me, some sort of psychic? I couldn't even tell what my chemistry teacher wanted when she asked us questions about theoretical yields and independent variables and all that jazz. Wouldn't I have been able to tell?

"_No, human, you would not. A human's ability is incredibly latent and must be...cajoled...if it is to be used actively. Only the most powerful human psychics are born with active talent."_

Silence reigned over us for the next thirty seconds or so as Spee let this set in, patiently waiting, flicking her tail back in forth lazily, ever-watching.

_"Human. Do you have what your kind calls a 'name'?"_

A name? Oh, yeah.

"Kev. Kev Collady."

_"Thank you, Kev Collady. We will work on developing your ability at the next available opportunity. When would that be, Kev Collady?"_

Er. Well, there's that algebra homework to do, and then dinner, and then some computer time, and school tomorrow...

_"Never mind. You will consult me when the time is right. Come. We should return to your abode. Lead the way, Kev Collady."_

"Um...could you just call me 'Kev'?" I asked, getting to my feet awkwardly and walking back to the swings slowly, grabbing my forgotten homework.

_"Very well, 'Kev'. It shall be as you ask."_

We walked in silence for a few minutes, and as we got closer and closer to the slightly weed-ridden maroon trailer that I call home, we both had very practical questions for one another. She asked hers first.

_"Kev?"_

"Yes?" I responded aloud. The voice had become nearly comfortable in my mind, now, as if this kind of thing happened every day.

_"As I understand it, your kind keeps their pokémon in what they call 'pokéballs'. Do you have any of these?"_

Oh, bust my buttons and hit me like a rampaging Snorlax! I was going to have to get a pokéball for...for...

"Do you have a name?" I decided to counter with my own question, skipping her issue for now.

For the first time, I caught her unawares. Her step next to me faltered as she abruptly went into a sitting position in the road (I live in the country, so the chance of a car coming was slim).

_"My kind does not use these, but...if it would make you more comfortable, Kev, then I will answer to this 'name' you require."_

"I'll think of one," I promised her, resuming the walk. Calling her Espeon just didn't seem to really suit the beauty. She deserved something more, something personal.

It was about another quarter of a mile before we would be home, and as we got nearer, I saw Mom's car in the driveway. Oh, this was going to be a fun one to explain...

"Hi, Mom! I found her---well, she found me---at the playground today. Can I keep her?"

Yeah, no. That wasn't going to fly.

Plus, how in the world was this Espeon going to deal with Dray, our Poochyena? Weren't psychics really bad with Dark-types?

Feeling more and more like fate's abused plaything, I set my shoulders and walked up the driveway, onto the porch, and stepped through the door, Mom's greeting dying on her lips as she caught sight of the pokémon at my feet.

That night went far better than I expected. Once we were all home, at dinner the whole family worked out a name for Spee---they loved her, actually, which was quite relieving for me---and she and Dray, despite some qualms, ended up getting along quite well with each other, frequently chasing each other. I never let them attack one another---or, at least, I never asked Spee to attack Dray---because we don't have the money for gas to drive into the city (Celadon City, to be exact) to the Pokémon Center.

You know what's funny?

I've been to quite a few Centers, now, and they get less scary each time. Sure, they're still as huge as ever, but the nurses really care about their patients. Plus, the Chanseys are really the sweetest things.

Tomorrow, we should be in Fuchsia City, so I'll be writing from the Center there until I can find a definite place to lay my head. They let you stay for a week before they have to let you go---demand for beds is high, after all---and that should be enough for me to find a job somewhere that my team and I can do. Maybe some trainers at the Gym will need sparring partners, or I can clean up litter from their Safari Zone (I heard it's really cool in there), or something. I always find some job somewhere that pays the bills for a traveling trainer.

I'll put away the journal, now, and go play with the crew. Only Swiff and T'len are awake, though, since it's past dinnertime.

Does T'len ever sleep? I know he has to at some point. Maybe he just doesn't sleep a lot. We really haven't connected as much as I thought we had, I guess. I'll have to fix that.

Okay, I said I'd put away the journal, so I will. The next time I open this, I'll be in Fuchsia City.

You know what else is funny?

Somehow home seems farther away than ever.


	5. Home

"She must be really hurting," Kev mumbled as he stumbled through the packed Pokémon Center to the bathroom. His Espeon, affectionately nicknamed Spee, followed him, despite not being a male and technically not permitted to enter the bathroom. Evidently she didn't care and nobody bothered to refute her - they were all crowding around Nurse Joy and Officer Jenny, clamoring for information and gossipping about whatever it was that had forced them all inside.

Once Kev had made it into the deserted restroom and had massaged his aching temples enough to think clearly, he set a pokéball down on the tiled floor. It erupted and released a Noctowl, flapping in the air, looking at his trainer curiously.

"Spee, Helping Hand. T'len, I need you to use Foresight to tell us where this presence is coming from," Kev ordered quietly. In battles he let his pokémon do their own thing, but now he needed them to do precisely what he needed.

Spee quietly performed the move to enhance T'len's ability and T'len landed on the open windowsill, shutting his glowing eyes as he did so. Spee's move also enhanced Kev's ability, allowing him to see what his Noctowl was seeing. He followed T'len through the town, through to the disturbance, to the Safari Zone, to the site of a raging storm, to a...

"A Dragonair?" Kev asked aloud. Spee nodded at his side. T'len opened his eyes and hooted.

"All right, then. Let's see what we can do," Kev said quietly. He'd already made the decision to go try and help, even if nobody was going to let him. His impulsiveness led him to the window behind T'len, who flew up into the air as Kev approached. Kev wrestled with the screen, finally just punching it out so that it fell, harmlessly intact, onto the wetting ground below. He clambered out of it and his two pokémon followed. Kev tried to reattach the screen.

Well, he tried.

"Uh, Spee?" he asked. His Espeon smiled, despite her pain, and used a tendril of her power to move the screen into its correct position. Their "escape" now covered, Kev smiled and they ran off to the Safari Zone, Kev trying to do his best not to slip in the mud. T'len led the way, soaring ahead of them, unafraid of the raging thunderstorm and the pelleting raindrops and the soaring wind that were working against him. Once they got to the entrance he soared down onto Kev's shoulder and they stepped through into the lobby, which was curiously empty.

Kev wiped his feet on the carpet, not daring to ask if anyone was there, just hoping he didn't set off any alarms as he tried to sneak into the usually pricy Safari Zone. Luckily, nobody caught him and he scrambled out through the other door without a hitch.

It wasn't too hard, once they were in the Safari Zone itself, to find the unlucky Dragonair. She was screaming and twisting in the air, her orb glowing. She was the cause of this horrible weather, and the cause of the three psychics' horrible headaches, which only seemed to get worse as they got closer to her.

They reached a lake, and Kev realized it would be easier to cross it to get to the Dragonair faster. He set another pokéball on the ground, this time releasing his Lanturn into the water.

"I need you to carry Spee and me to the other side, Syzz," he asked. Syzz crooned his approval and trainer and pokémon clambered aboard, T'len having come to rest also on Kev's shoulder ever since they had entered the Zone. Even he was too tired to keep going without having to any longer.

They reached the other side quickly and Kev recalled Syzz. They dashed through muddy paths, Kev trying desperately to remember how to get to the area the Dragonair was above - and oddly enough, they met no pokémon on the way.

Until three Scyther came running towards them. They were a ways away and it was just enough time for Kev to set another pokéball down. His Ponyta erupted into the rain and snorted her disapproval.

"Swiff, I know it sucks, but I need a Flame Wheel at those Scyther. Just scare them off," Kev ordered. Swiff gave one short nod and readied her attack. It was dampened when she released it but it came out and was enough to send the Scyther in another direction. Kev and the team of three, now, ran further.

And then, all too soon, he had made it, skidding to a stop in the mud. He was standing within reasonable sight of the majestic Dragonair, the Dragonair who had resisted every attempt at capture - he knew it, he could hear her, see what she had done.

And as he stood there, his three pokémon waiting for his command, he suddenly knew what he had to do.

"Swiff," he said, releasing his final unseen pokémon in the process, Piious the Tropius, "You'll need to play the distractor. You too, Piious. Fly and use Bounce to confuse her. She'll try and attack you but I don't want you to hurt her. Just get her attention off us," Kev ordered, sidestepping a massive bolt of electricity that had discharged from the Dragonair - a powerful Thunder Wave attack.

Swiff and Piious nodded and began their dance with the Dragonair, Piious soaring overhead in the storm to engage her flank while Swiff distracted her with blasts of flame from the other side.

"Spee, when she's not focusing the most - you'll know, right, you can look?" Kev asked and Spee nodded. "Okay, when she's least expecting it, hit her with all you've got but do it only to stop her from moving. When Spee's got control, I want you to hit her with Hypnosis, T'len. Then we'll go from there."

The psychics nodded - well, T'len technically wasn't a psychic-type, but he was close enough for Kev - and T'len soared into the air. Swiff and Piious were doing well, but were rapidly tiring and Dragonair's rage was not going away quickly enough for Kev. He re-released Syzz, who took up residence in a lake behind them.

"Syzz, distract that Dragonair, but don't hurt her. I need you to just make as much noise and as much of a light show as possible," Kev ordered. Syzz grinned and immediately began to do what he was designed to do - be the center of attention. The new distractor caught Dragonair by surprise and as she turned to see the lightning show playing on the water, Spee struck. Dragonair cried out - but she wasn't in pain, Kev could feel it, she was just surprised, although it still hurt like a Tauros stamping on his brain - and then T'len swooped in, engaging the Dragonair with his Hypnosis. Slowly, slowly, Kev could feel the headache drift off and off and the weather lighten until, at last, Swiff was standing in the sunlight, Piious was on the ground opposite her, Syzz was waiting in the water, Spee was relaxing at his side, T'len had landed on a branch, and Dragonair was sleeping quietly.

"T'len, Psycho Shift. Spee, Morning Sun. At the same time. See if you can shift the attack so that Dragonair gets the benefits," Kev ordered. The two nodded and began their moves, T'len transferring the healing energy Spee was deriving from the returning sun into the sleeping Dragonair. Her color perked and enriched and Kev could see her furrowed face finally relax. She was sleeping peacefully now.

The healing complete, Kev turned to Syzz, ready to ask if he could ride him again back to the other side of that lake, as it might be faster, but Syzz was looking at him very oddly.

He turned around and saw the rest of his team giving him the same stare.

A tendril of Spee's power unclipped the final pokéball at his waste, the empty one. It floated into Kev's hand.

"Are you sure?" he asked.

The team chirruped, hooted, snorted, and nodded their concensus.

"All right, then. I'll try."

He stepped over to Dragonair, tapped her ever so lightly on the nose with the pokéball, and watched as she flew inside. It shook in his hand for a few moments, but when it stilled he knew she was his.

"If you want to go back home, dear, you can," he whispered to the pokéball, "We can figure out where it is and we'll get you there as fast as we can. But if you want, you can find another home...with us."

Kev smiled as he looked around at his team. He wasn't sure if he could handle training a Dragon pokémon, but if Spee was still hanging around then he must be doing a good enough job with difficult types.

Nobody knew what happened to the Dragonair that day, besides Kev, and he didn't tell anyone until Nurse Joy, who smiled at him and said she'd be pleased to keep his little secret. The two simply smiled as people in the Center marveled at the destruction Dragonair had wrought and hoped she had gotten what she had deserved.

He hoped so, too. He hoped she had gotten the good trainer she had deserved. He hoped he was good enough.

**Author's Note: Complete, for now. I might do a sequel that would follow Kev on a very long, lengthy, involved storyline that would involve getting Dragonair back home, but for now I'm going to close it here. This is just the basis for another story that I hope to write someday, a big story involving Kev, and I wanted to have his history down. So there you go. :) Thanks if you've read this, and have a nice day.**


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